


fever dreams in vivid reds, calming by your touch

by BoysAndBoysAndGirlsAndGirls



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, But I do like leaves, Fluff, Like some major pining by our good friend oikawa, M/M, Minor Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi, Mutual Pining, Other, Pining, Slow Burn, and i don't like grapes, canon is a grape vine, chomp chomp, yes i'm doing this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:20:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27952229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BoysAndBoysAndGirlsAndGirls/pseuds/BoysAndBoysAndGirlsAndGirls
Summary: In the bathroom of a crowded party, Oikawa finds much more than a moment's respite.You’ve gotta say something, he thinks to himself when he looks at him expectantly.Maybe something smooth.Yeah, but not so forward, I don’t think he’d like that all that much.Something simple.The sound of the tap dripping matches the countdown in his head to say something before he loses his chance.I’ll introduce myself and say he’s pretty or something.Yeah, I’ll do that.He takes a deep breath to hype himself up and says, “You’re Oikawa Tooru, and I’m really pretty.”Fuck.Or the one with pretty boys in bathtubs, grocery store runs at 10 pm and embarrassment//updating once a week on tuesdays//
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 67
Kudos: 189





	1. Chapter 1

Contrary to popular belief, Oikawa Tooru does not like parties.

He likes the attention he attracts at parties; he likes the lingering stares at parties; he likes hushed whispers in bathroom stalls at parties, but he does not like parties.

It’s just a little bit too loud sometimes, and instead of shutting off his intrusive thoughts, the noise just seems to amplify them, giving them the freedom to shout into his head.

The event is more crowded than usual, he notices, as parties at the beginning of new semesters usually are, with insecure first years trying their best to fit in and find someone to talk to but all of this just serves to make him feel even more claustrophobic. 

Even multiple rounds of beer pong don’t distract him, neither does the blonde girl eyeing him, and he just wants to go home.

But he has a reputation to uphold, so he plasters on a smile, which is enough for everyone around him apparently, and Oikawa wonders whether he’s really good at pretending or if no one cares enough.

He’s interrupted from his spiraling when a huge cheer breaks out as some heavily muscled guy climbs onto the table and rips off his shirt and he makes his first sound decision that night to find somewhere to sneak off to.

Clutching his empty red cup in one hand, he uses the other to navigate through the crowd, pointedly avoiding the gaze of Kuroo who calls out his name.

He knows the bedroom is nearby, but he also knows there will most definitely be someone making out there. The balcony is also a good option, is what amateurs would think. Balconies are the worst, with lovey-dovey couples stargazing and being gross. The only options left are to either leave the party altogether, or the bathroom. He can’t really leave, because first parties of the year are always important because he needs everyone to know him because he’s just as insecure as all those freshmen that he’s been making fun of which is why he bursts into the bathroom and immediately sinks against the door.

He’s so absorbed in his own relief at finally escaping, he doesn’t notice the man with wide eyes staring at him from the tub.

“Hello?”, a rough voice says timidly, causing Oikawa to stand up in surprise.

Instead of apologizing and walking out like a normal person, he says, “Hi.”

It confuses the person behind the shower curtain who peeks his head out and nods awkwardly in greeting.

He stands in silence for approximately seven seconds filled with embarrassment as bathtub boy pushes the shower curtain back to cover him again.

Oikawa turns to hold the handle but he feels all strength drain from him at the thought of having to interact with more people again, in fact he feels so exhausted, he makes one of his boldest moves ever.

“Hey, uh.”, he says, clasping his hands into a fist, “Do you mind if I stay here?”

The sheet of plastic is out of the way again, but still not completely.

He hears a sigh before the voice mutters, “Sure.”

Now it’s out of the way completely, and it reveals a boy with shiny straight black hair, a sharp jawline and beautiful navy-blue eyes.

A low, “Oh damn.”, escapes him which causes him to raise an eyebrow as he looks up at him from the tub.

“So, are you just going to stand there?”, he asks, and Oikawa is in such a trance, he doesn’t make any movement.

“You can come sit here, you know?”, he tries again and this time he nods.

The boy moves to the side of the bathtub, his long legs hanging out as the denim of his jeans makes a soft noise as it scratches against the bottom.

He cautiously steps in, trying to be as graceful as possible as to not give away the fact that he’s absolutely wasted.

It doesn’t work though, because beautiful bathtub boy chuckles lightly and he swears that the heavens opened up and angels began singing at that moment.

He moves a little bit to make more space, his jacket rubbing against Oikawa’s bare arm and there’s no way he can deny the little shiver that runs down his spine.

There’s also no denying the halo that forms around the boy as he looks away, his features illuminated under the dim bathroom lights.

 _You’ve gotta say something_ , he thinks to himself when he looks at him expectantly.

_Maybe something smooth._

_Yeah, but not so forward, I don’t think he’d like that all that much._

_Something simple._

The sound of the tap dripping matches the countdown in his head to say something before he loses his chance.

_I’ll introduce myself and say he’s pretty or something._

_Yeah, I’ll do that._

He takes a deep breath to hype himself up and says, “You’re Oikawa Tooru, and I’m really pretty.”

_Fuck._

“Sorry?”, he asks, a bewildered expression on his face.

“That’s- That’s not what I meant to say.”, he manages to croak out, which just adds to the uncomfortable atmosphere building up.

He doesn’t respond, looking both amused and confused, and as adorable as his expression is, Oikawa can’t have this boy thinking that he’s stupid, even though he very much is, so he tries again.

“I’m sorry, I’m just really drunk and really tired, and I’m like so bored of this party and I’m tired but yeah, I just didn’t want to be inside so I just tried to not be inside by coming inside here and I just did not expect seeing you and you’re really pretty.”

He finishes with his head buried in his knees, where he can’t see his reaction, but he does hear someone knocking.

“King, you have to take me back to the dorm, remember?”, a calm voice says through the door, and he feels the boy move from beside him but he makes no move because the mortification coursing through him keeps him rooted in place.

“I’m coming.”, he replies with his rough gravelly voice that does things to him.

“Um.”, he says, and Oikawa looks up, “I have to go now.”

He nods, simultaneously hoping that he leaves right now and also that he never leaves.

“But I think you’re pretty too.”, he sputters out and quickly turns on his heel, leaving him alone in the bathtub without his heart and with a flicker of hope.


	2. Chapter 2

“Rise and shine, bitches!”, someone shouts, their voice reverberating through the room.

Oikawa buries his head deeper into the pillow, grunting loudly as the person cackles horrifyingly and he knows just who it is.

“Testsu-chan, what the fuck?”, he says, throwing his quilt back over him.

“Come on, you have to get up!”, he sings, “The sun is shining, the winds are blowing, the birds are chirping!”

“Birds are government drones and you’re an asshole.”, he mutters.

“Aw, thank you!”, he wipes a fake tear from his eye, yanking him out by the legs.

“Why are you so hellbent on waking me up anyway? We don’t even have classes today!”

“Because- “, he says, looking proud, “- you pulled some embarrassing shit last night and I want you to know!”

“Of course it’s going to be something like that.”, he deadpans, finally getting to his feet, “So, tell me.”

“Do you seriously not remember anything?”, Kuroo asks, looking suspicious.

“No?”, he staggers when a wave of pain hits him, hangovers really do suck.

He laughs that really ugly laugh again which makes Oikawa’s headache worse.

“I’m going to give you a hint.”, there’s a glimmer of mischief in his eyes as he says, “Don’t you have to go to the bathroom?”

At that word, memories of beautiful eyes and words in a tub come flooding to him, causing him to sit back down.

“Oh, fuck.”

“Yeah.”

He pulls his knees to his chest, making a guttural noise as he does so and Kuroo watches him as he leans in the doorway.

“I didn’t even get his name.”, Oikawa doesn’t mean to sound like a whiny child, but he very much does sound like one, “What if I never see him again? What if he doesn’t actually go here? What do I do then?”

There’s an awkward silence for a few seconds before he says, “Uh. I wanted to make fun of you, I didn’t actually expect you to be so- “, he snaps his fingers as though he’s looking for a word, “-heartbroken.”

“Trust me, I didn’t think I’d be like this either.”

The quiet settles in between them and Kuroo is once again the one to break it with a cough.

“You’re really late so the cafeteria is shut, so there’s some cereal on the table, if you want.”, he scratches the back of his neck and walks out, the soft sound of his footsteps feeling like drums in Oikawa’s head.

“I’m just going to cry my day away.”, he says, lying back down on the bed.

“Sounds good!”

He doesn’t cry his day away, and that’s only because of the last shred of dignity that he has left.

He does sulk though and watch ET to try and imitate the aliens’ voices, which might have frightened Kuroo a little bit, but this isn’t about him.

“Are you going to come eat lunch? Or take a shower?”, he attempts, but Oikawa simply raises his hand to his forehead dramatically.

“Do not worry Tetsu-chan! I am bathing in my tears.”

“Yeah, I don’t think Sawamura will be very happy about that.”, he says while he moves his laptop off from his chest and tries to dust the crumbs on his bedsheets.

“Dai-chan will most definitely murder me.”, he absentmindedly says, concerned about the thought of Sawamura berating him. 

“And he’s going to be mad if you don’t eat.”, he prompts, pushing him into the bathroom and shutting the door after him, “Don’t fall in love with any cute guys while you’re in there!”

“I hate you.”

“The feeling is mutual.”, Kuroo’s voice is upbeat, the complete opposite of his, when it’s usually Oikawa who is consistently annoyingly cheerful.

But to his friend’s credit, the shower does feel really great, the hot water trickling down his body and clearing away his sadness, but the image of his blue eyes remains embedded in his mind.

It’s hard not to think about him and it’s even harder for him to understand why he’s so enraptured. It was like he felt an instant connection between them, something that he’s never felt with anyone before, and he’s never been that flustered before either.

As he towels himself off, he hears the door opening and the sound of someone plopping down onto the couch.

“Oikawa! Where are you at?”, Bokuto shouts loudly, which earns him a smack from someone else.

“What are you so loud for?”, and that must be Sawamura.

He steps out when he pulls his shirt over his head which earns him a hoot from Bokuto.

“There he is! How’s your hangover?”, he slings a hand over his shoulder.

“Terrible. And your shouting isn’t making it any better.”, he answers.

“See? I told you!”, the ever-so responsible Sawamura says, crossing his arms over his chest, “I got you soup.”

It does smell great, he notes, and lunges for it, “Dai-chan, I love you.”

“Not funny.”, Kuroo pouts, looking away.

“No need to be possessive Tetsu-chan, I only love Dai-chan platonically.”, he coos, knowing just what buttons to push.

“I’m not possessive!”, he screeches defensively while Sawamura looks down at his feet awkwardly, “Just eat your damn soup.”

“Don’t you drink soup though?”, Bokuto asks, looking like he’s uncovered the secrets to life.

“Holy shit Bo. You’re a fucking genius.”, he reaches over to give him a fist bump and they’re back to normal.

Kuroo and Sawamura’s feelings for each other isn’t something you’re supposed to bring up, but Oikawa thinks that that unspoken rule is extremely stupid. Call him a hopeless romantic, but if you like someone and they like you back, why wouldn’t you be with them? Nonetheless, he usually respects it unless he’s feeling like stirring up some drama or in too much pain to remember it like right now.

“Whatever. You coming to eat?”, he asks, “You only have a chance of seeing the boy you’re thirsting over if you go outside, you know?”

This leaves him momentarily stunned before he says, “I hate you, Dai-chan. I’m going to brush my hair.”

Sawamura looks smug as he walks out of their dorm, this is probably his revenge for bringing up ‘what should not be spoken about’. The traitor, how dare he make Oikawa take care of himself? True betrayal.

He tries to look as presentable as possible, considering that there are still bags under his eyes and he still has a throbbing headache, but he’s going to take every opportunity he can to see him again, even if it doesn’t pay off.

“All set?”, Kuroo asks.

He nods as he pushes him out of the way, “If I eat, will all of you let me cry the rest of the day?”

“Nope!”, Bokuto says, “You said you’d help me with my paper.”

“I did, didn’t I?”, he sighs, stretching, “You sure we have to do it today?”

“I have to submit it in seven hours.”

“I should have known.”, he massages his forehead with his fingers, “Let’s just finish it at the library, okay?”

Bokuto nods eagerly, always filled to the brim with energy. Actually, scratch that, he’s not filled to the brim with energy, he’s overflowing with it, so much so that it affects everyone around him.  
It’s a great quality of his, but sometimes, it does prove to be a huge distraction, like when they’re studying.

He seems even more chirpy than usual today and Oikawa can already tell that they’re going to have to work extremely hard to submit the paper in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look who is updating regularly! i actually updated this a day before because I'm going to be really busy tomorrow but better early than late! i have so much planned for this and i am HYPED. and yes it's going to take a while for things to start happening again so eek, but it's slow burn for a reason. there's plot relevant kuroo and daichi in this, but it's not extremely important, it's mainly oikage. Thank you so much for reading and i hope you like this chapter. Your comments mean everything to me and i really appreciate it!


	3. Chapter 3

“Bokuto Koutaro.”, he says, his voice calm even though his angry expression says otherwise.

“Yeah?”

“Why didn’t you tell me that you haven’t even started your paper?”, he turns the laptop to him and the screen displays a word document with only the title.

“I-. It’s not that big of a deal.”, he shrugs it off, but his fear is evident.

“It’s not that big of a deal? You have to write five thousand words! That’s at least 15 pages!”

He stuffs one of Oikawa’s cookies in his mouth and speaks, “Well when you put it that way, it sounds like a big deal.”

“Close your mouth and chew you hoodlum.”, he pushes a tissue towards him, “And this is a psychology paper. Do you know how much research you have to do to write a psychology paper?”

“Yeah, I had to write a few last semester.” 

“Then why did you not do the research?”, he wants to raise his voice but they are in a library so she settles for glaring. 

“Bro, chill. You already turned in yours, right? Just give me your sources and I'll give you love and affection.”

Oikawa takes a deep breath to try and calm himself, “Okay, I can do that.”

“Then we’re all good!” 

“Yeah, I guess? But don’t blatantly copy my stuff.”

This time, he finishes chewing, “I know that. How dumb do you think I am?"

“I am not going to answer that.”

“Rude.” 

“We have three minutes to 11:59, come on. You can do this!”, he cheers, as Bokuto’s mouse hovers over the submit button.

“I don’t know if I can do this. What if I fail?”, he shakes Oikawa by the shoulders.

“Hush, there are still people here, you know?”, he whispers, “But, don’t worry dude. I helped you, there’s no way you’re failing.”

He nods fervently, “Yeah. Yeah, I got this. You’re smart and that will balance out my dumb.”

“You’re not dumb. And you’ve got two minutes now.”

“Right. Okay.”, he shuts his eyes, “I’m going to press it.”

“One minute.”

“I can do this. I am amazing and I have a great ass.”

“Hell yeah!”

“And whether I fail or not, my ass will always be great.”

“Okay.”, he turns the screen towards him, “You’re taking too long so I’m doing it.”

He presses the button before Bokuto lets out a relieved scream, jumping up, “Oh shit, you did it.”

“I did.”

Oikawa is about to celebrate with him when he hears someone mutter something along the lines of, “What the fuck are they doing?”

He turns to find the source of the voice, ready to fist fight someone. There are only four people excluding them in the room, one of them using the computer, two sitting next to each other and whispering and the last person is getting ready to leave with his back turned to them.

It’s obviously not the first three because they genuinely don’t seem to care which is why he comes to the conclusion that it’s the boy walking out of the library.

“Hey!”, he shouts, but it only catches the attention of the person for a brief moment in which he turns back and that second is enough for Oikawa to realize who it is.

“Holy shit.”, he mutters and turns to Bokuto, “Bo, that’s bathtub boy!”

“Wait, really?”, he says, almost breaking his neck at the speed he looks back.

“Oh my god, it’s him.”

“Go get him then! What are you waiting for?”

The door swings closed and he sprints towards it, determined not to lose his chance again. 

He runs across the floor, hoping that the boy is waiting for him outside, but a surge of disappointment hits him when he finds the hallway empty, with no trace of the boy he wants to see more than anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's kageyama's birthday!!! i completely forgot because I've been so busy with my work but luckily for me, i update on Tuesdays and this Tuesday is 22nd December. I've done a lot of characterization for those in the background too like Bokuto, Kuroo and Daichi and I also have some chapters planned specially for them so i hope y'all will like that. There's going to be a little bit more time till their relationship actually starts developing so strap in tight and as always thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

“He literally disappeared!”, Oikawa screams, flicking rice at Kuroo, “He was there one second, and then the next second, he wasn’t.”

“I was there and I can confirm.”, Bokuto adds, and Sawamura raises an eyebrow.

“What is he, a fairy?”, he chuckles, but when Oikawa widens his eyes, he corrects himself, “It was a joke, please don’t make this a conspiracy theory.”

“Oh my god, Dai-chan, you’re smarter than you seem.”, he says, “That’s why I can’t stop thinking about him, he cast a fucking spell on me.”

“I can’t believe the one time I get a compliment from him it’s because I said a guy was a supernatural being.”, he says under his breath and Kuroo laughs at his comment.

“I shall ignore you, thank you very much. Your negative aura will not interrupt my revelation.”, he turns his nose up at them and huffs.

“Let the guy speak.”, Bokuto rests his hand on his shoulder.

He pumps his fist in the air, “Yes, at least someone is on my side.” 

“If he wants to believe in fairies like a kid instead of admitting that he’s in love, then that’s his choice.”, he calmly spreads peanut butter on his bread as a chorus of ‘ooh’s come from the other two.

Oikawa’s jaw hangs open for a few seconds before Sawamura reaches over to push it up.

“You know what, fuck all of you.”

“Yeah, we know who you want to fuck.”, Kuroo says in a low whisper but it doesn’t escape him.

He gasps, “I am being bullied.”

“Okay, lets change the topic before someone cries.”, Sawamura says, “The first years will try out for volleyball at practice today!”, his attempt at diverting works, because in the end, the thing that unites all of them is that they’re volleyball idiots.

“Oh right. How many sports scholarship kids are there this year?”, Bokuto asks, holding a spoonful of yogurt.

“Two, I think.”, Kuroo says, a hand over his mouth as he chews, “There’s a middle blocker and a setter.”

Oikawa holds up a finger, “But more importantly, which one of us is going to be captain?”

He doesn’t intend to sound cocky, but he kind of is.

“You do realize that there are fourth years, right? We’re in our third year.”

“Eh, they’re incompetent. We’re better and you know it.”

“No comment.” 

They burst out in laughter, attracting the attention of the others in the cafeteria who are just trying to have a peaceful lunch.

“Maybe mystery boy plays volleyball?”, he prods, picking something out of his silver hair.

“No, that’s not possible. Because if he does, he’d literally be my ideal person and he just cannot get more perfect.”, he waves it off as he cleans up his trash, but his heart most definitely skips a beat.

“Fuck, I’m late.”, Kuroo announces, shoveling the rest of his tray into his mouth.

“What class?”, Oikawa asks.

“It’s Organic chem and I have Suzuki this year.”, he grabs his bag and checks his phone, “I can make it in two, I think.”

“Run.”, Sawamura says, his face dead serious, “Also, we still on for later?”

“Yeah, of course. See you in practice!”, he hollers as he sprints across the room, jumping over a trashcan.

“Wait, why are the two of you meeting without us?”, Bokuto leans across the table with his face resting in his palms.

“Because I need help with chemistry.”, he replies calmly.

Oikawa hums sarcastically, “Aren’t you a business major?”

“Yeah, and I took basic chem as an elective. What’s your point?”

“And you wouldn’t have happened to take chemistry to study the chemistry between the two of you?”

“Fuck you, Oikawa. I hope you never see bathtub boy again.”

“Below the belt Dai-chan, below the belt.”

The sound of volleyballs bouncing on hardwood and excited cheers fill Oikawa’s ears as he walks onto the court, looking around to see a few familiar faces and a few new ones and it already feels like home.

A tall blonde stands nearby, muttering in frustration as he stares at his phone and types furiously.

“Okay, listen up!”, coach Ukai shouts, standing in the middle of the court and everyone moves towards him.

“It’s a new year, so there’s new team members and a new captain.”, he says, his gaze following the third years, “Your captain will be announced next practice, after selections.”

“It’s one of us, isn’t it?”, Bokuto says, his face adopting a determined and serious expression.

“I think.”, Kuroo whispers “He did look at us.”

The coach speaks again, “We have two scholarship kids this year.”

He points to the blonde guy Oikawa saw earlier, “Tsukishima Kei. Middle blocker. And-.”

He examines the room, his appearance getting more and more furious by the second, “Where’s the other one?”

“Sorry, coach. The king’s running late.”, Tsukishima says apologetically, “He got caught sleeping in class.”

That’s not a great first impression, he thinks, being late to your first practice because you fell asleep in class. Also, did he just call him king? That’s a pretty odd nickname, and if it’s his actual name, that’s even weirder.

A huff escapes the coach’s lips, “Tell him if he’s not here in the next five minutes, there will be consequences.”

“Will do.”

“The rest of you trying out, line up.”, he claps his hands, distracting everyone.

The first years follow his directions, standing against the back of the court while he moves to collect the balls lying on the ground when the door bursts open.

“Wait!”, a rough voice screams, and everyone turns around except for him as Oikawa throws a stray ball into the cart Kuroo pushes around while he follows him. 

“I’m sorry for being late.”

The curiosity gets the better of him and he turns to look. 

Midnight blue eyes and onyx hair that have haunted every waking thought Oikawa has had for the past two nights meet him and the volleyball he holds clatters to the ground.

“My name is Kageyama Tobio and I’m a setter!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with the last chapter of 2020! This year has been pretty terrible so here's to hoping things will get better. It's pretty fluffy for now, but there will be some angst because angst is unfortunately a major part of life. Anyway, thank you all for reading and your comments really do keep me going so it would be nice if you could leave one, no pressure though lol. Your support means a great deal to me and i wish everyone a happy new year!


	5. Chapter 5

“Wait.”, Bokuto moves in to whisper in Oikawa’s ear, “Is he?”

He doesn’t have to complete the sentence, because it’s absolutely clear what he means, and he nods inattentively in response, too transfixed on the way the boy moves his hair out of his face as he bites his lip, awaiting the coach’s disapproval.

And Ukai simply turns his nose up at him and glares, “Listen here, kid.”

The hair on his arm stands up straight, even though he’s not the one it’s directed at.

“This cannot happen again, and if it does, there’ll be quite a price to pay. Understood?”, his voice is intimidating with a false sense of calm about it.

“Yes, sir!”, he says, timidly.

“Now, the two of you don’t have to try out so take the other court with the seniors.”, he cocks his head towards them and Oikawa swallows.

The news of who the newcomer is has apparently spread to the others because they both look like they’re desperately fighting off smiles so he elbows Kuroo’s side, causing him to hunch over in both pain and laughter.

Bathtub boy, no, Kageyama Tobio, hasn’t noticed him yet and he doesn’t know whether he wants him to as he watches him walks over to the other first year whose name he’s already forgotten.

“Wow, he’s whipped.”, Bokuto says, and Oikawa has also forgotten how to speak, because he just pathetically sputters out.

Tobio really is a pretty name, he muses, and while at first glance it might look like the name doesn’t fit him, considering how cute it sounds and how unapproachable he looks, he knows what’s hidden under his persona. 

His beautiful eyes flit towards them, finally landing on Oikawa and they widen in recognition as he looks away immediately, and whispers something to his friend who wears an amused expression.

“We should go over there and say something.”, Sawamura taunts, “We’re their seniors.”

“I hate all of you.”, he manages to form a coherent sentence, but all it does is prompt another bout of laughter from them.

“Anyway, I’m going to say hi.”, Bokuto excitedly says, always enthusiastic to meet new people, a lot like a puppy actually.

He jogs over, clapping the back of the other guy who definitely does not like physical contact, judging by the murderous look he wears that he attempts to mask but does so very poorly.

But Bokuto is as always ignorant to social cues and continues speaking and he hopes that he’s not saying anything embarrassing, even though embarrassing might as well be his middle name  
Kageyama lets out a small laugh at something he says, and it’s enough for a blush to rise up on his cheeks and he turns to the ground.

It’s unfair how he’s so smitten and he doesn’t really seem to be affected, but Oikawa is nothing if not determined and he’s never wanted to be with someone as much as he wants him. But of course, he will definitely leave him alone if he says so. As much of an asshole he is, no is no, and he understands that, even if it will sting a little.

Bokuto returns to them, but this time with two people trailing behind him and his heartbeat quickens at the sight.

“Guys!”, he announces, “This is Sawamura Daichi.”, he gestures to him as though he was giving a presentation and Oikawa would have found this hilarious if he didn’t fear the fact that he might be having a stroke.

“Kuroo Tetsurou.”, he lifts one hand in greeting, and Kageyama does the same, and he notes his neatly filed nails and smooth hands.

“And this is Oikawa Tooru, though I’m sure you already know.”, his voice turns teasing and he wiggles his eyebrows at a seemingly unaffected Kageyama, but on closer inspection he notices that the tips of his ears are pink, and it’s so cute that he just wants to crawl into a hole.

“Yeah, um, I’m Tsukishima Kei.”, so that’s his name.

“And I’m Kageyama Tobio.”, he says, and glances over at Oikawa, “It’s nice seeing you again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm here with another short chapter but at least they're finally talking now. I know I've already mentioned that this will be slow but even i didn't realize just how slow this is going to be until this chapter. Since these are so small, i might update twice a week from now on and we'll see if that works. I'm trying to make their relationship as healthy as possible, so that the progression will feel more natural. Anyway, thank you so much for reading and all the comments on the previous chapters! It means a lot to me and i really appreciate every one of you. See you next time!


	6. Chapter 6

It’s the first time he sees him so close up since the day he met him, which is why it’s perfectly valid that he stares at his face for five awkward seconds before saying, “Yes.”

He doesn’t really know why he said yes, and it still hasn’t really sunk in as to what he just did, so he just stands there, with his arms hanging at his sides.

“Um.”, Sawamura says, giving him a ‘what the fuck are you doing’ look, “We should introduce you to the second and fourth years too.”

“Yeah, we should do that!”, Kuroo says, his voice high pitched and abrupt as he waves the rest over.

Bokuto just inclines his head towards him and whispers, “Bro, please stop having a gay panic.”

“I can’t help it! He’s really cute.”, he replies, his lips in a soft pout.

“Here lies Oikawa Tooru, he was gay.”, he dramatically says, shutting his eyes and clasping his hands together in a prayer position.

“Hey, new guys?”, someone says from behind him, and he turns back.

Tsukishima nods, looking to Kageyama for some help, but he just raises an eyebrow (which is so attractive fucking hell). It’s clear to see that the two of them are really close friends, and he wonders if he can extract any information about him from the blonde without sounding like a creep.

Sawamura drags the two of them to the rest of their team, leaving Kuroo with him as Oikawa stands there frozen.

“You okay?”, he asks, trying to remove the concern from his voice but it doesn’t really work. 

“I’m so stupid.”, he deadpans, trying his best to tear his eyes away from him.

Kuroo laughs as he pats his back, ‘That you are.”

Kageyama is, shortly put, amazing. His serves are as close to perfection that they can get, and his tosses are so precise even the spikers are surprised by it as the ball hits their palm. He maintains a calm reserve as he plays, with the occasional taunt to Tsukishima and a challenging smirk, and it leaves him in awe, with his jaw hanging open and eyes wide.

Sawamura shrugs at him from across the net when he meets his gaze and sees Oikawa mouth the words, ‘how does he do that?’, when he sets yet another beautiful toss.

The scoreboard displays the numbers 23 and 24 with the lead being in Oikawa’s favor. But in all honesty, it doesn’t matter whether he wins or not because he now has competition for his coveted position after years and while it excites him, the thought also scares him and sets fear alight in his mind. 

He’s not talented, he knows this, but he’s hardworking and he’s put in too much effort to lose now.

They win, naturally, but he feels more when he shakes his hand from below the net, his blue eyes shimmering with the excitement of a good game and a slight pout on his face from the irritation of losing. It’s only practice, not that big of a deal but he still looks pretty upset so Oikawa discerns that he is the competitive type.

His theory is further proven when he sticks his tongue out at Tsukishima and snipes at him, saying something about winning next time.

It’s cute, he thinks as a smile makes its way onto his face, he’s cute.

“Good game.”, Sawamura slides in next to him, offering him a water bottle.

“Thanks, you played well.”

“Yeah, when do I not.”

Oikawa chokes abruptly on his water and he firmly hits his back reflexively. 

“Holy fuck, can’t you drink properly?”, he mutters and a snort follows after.

He finally stops coughing, and then promptly starts laughing, which earns him an eyeroll.

“You’ve been spending too much time with me.”, he says between wheezes.

“So, are you saying I don’t always play well?”, he tries to sound serious but the grin on his face betrays him.

“You know that’s not what I’m trying to say.”

“Oikawa-san?”, a small voice says from behind him, and he does a double take when he hears his name in Kageyama’s voice.

“Tobio-chan.”, he turns around, a hand on his hip and the other in the air in what was probably the most cringe inducing pose of all time.

His expression sours slightly at the way he refers to him, but he doesn’t say anything about it, “Your serves were really cool.”

“Oh.”, he’s pleasantly taken aback and he wills himself to not faint on the spot, “Thank you. Your tosses were pretty good too.”

He nods curtly, his eyes wandering to the ground, “Do you think we could practice together some time, maybe?”

His words come out rushed but the message is clear and it sends a wave of excitement through him and something else that he doesn’t really know.

It takes him three seconds to process what just happens and in those three seconds Kuroo and Bokuto have materialized and Kageyama looks up at him nervously.

“I- Yeah, of course. Thursday? We don't have practice on Thursday? ”, he spits out just as quickly as he had spoken before.

“Sure, I’ll get your number from the group chat?”, he’s still looking, and Oikawa wills himself to not get lost in the dark blue of his eyes.

“Cool cool.”, he says, not very coolly at all.

He flashes him a thumbs up sign as he walks backward to Tsukishima, who mutters, ‘look at you go’, to him.

“Did you just.”, Bokuto asks, looking suspiciously like an owl with his wide eyes, “Did you just get a date?”

“It’s not a date.”, he defends himself mechanically, “We’re both setters and we’re going to practice.”

Kuroo hums sarcastically, his lips pursed, “Sure.”

“Come on guys.”, Sawamura steps in, slinging an arm around his shoulder and Oikawa doesn’t miss the way Kuroo smiles at the contact, “If he wants to be in denial, let him.”

“Every day I wake up and wonder why I haven’t ditched all of you yet.”, he says, launching another volleyball at his rooster head.

“Because you love us.”

“That’s gross Kou-kun.”

Oikawa rolls his eyes as he walks out and spares a glance at Kageyama, who is surprisingly looking right back, and he allows himself to hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi y'all! They are officially speaking now! Words are being exchanged and things are finally picking up. This chapter was pretty long compared to how short my stuff usually is, and next chapter is going to be even longer. I'm not sure about the posting schedule right now though. I'll definitely update on Tuesdays every week and if I'm ahead then I'll post an extra chapter. Thank you all for reading and i hope everyone is doing okay! Your comments mean the world to me and i appreciate every single one of you! Thank you so much


	7. Chapter 7

“Wait, do you want the green chips or the blue chips?”, Oikawa pops his head back into the doorway, asking Kuroo who lies sprawled on the couch.

“The green ones, obviously. I have taste, unlike you.”, he doesn’t look up from his console and just rolls his eyes.

“I’m literally going shopping at 10 pm for you, be more grateful.”, he launches a nearby pillow at his face, and shuts the door before he can face his wrath.

As disgruntled as he sounds to Kuroo, he’s actually pretty pleased at being outside at this time. The stars aren’t particularly visible, not like back in Miyagi where bright lights litter the world above him, but the dark sky and crescent moon are still beautiful, the street lamp casting a white glow on his feet on the pavement. He narrowly avoids the puddles of muddy water, even though all he wants is to be able to jump in and let it splash all over his legs and the passerby’s. But with being an adult, childhood flits away and everything fun becomes less socially acceptable. 

He hears slight footsteps behind him, but doesn’t turn back to look and instead stares at the ground he walks on. The place is not very far from where they stay, but he doesn’t rush and lets himself enjoy the pleasure of the outside after being cooped up in his dorm studying for hours.

Slight ripples form in a particularly deep puddle right ahead of him, and he bends in to inspect the water.

That was the wrong move, he realizes when a creature jumps out and lunges right in his direction.

He shrieks as he falls on his back, his hands saving him from a brutal fall as he places them at his sides.

“Oh fuck.”, the person from behind him says hurriedly, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I think I’m okay.”, he runs his eyes, and is met by an extended hand in his face.

He traces the arm with his eyes and is met by none other than Kageyama Tobio.

“Tobio-chan.”, he says, in a short breath and he cocks his head to side.

“Oikawa-san?”, his hand is still out and he reaches out to hold it, “What happened?”

He pulls him up, grunting and Oikawa tries to ignore the way he feels when their skin touches.

He points to the culprit, “Frog.”

Kageyama squints and peers at it, “Oh!”, he says, looking the happiest he’s ever seen him, even if he’s not known him for very long.

“What?”

“Frogs are friends.”, he explains it in the way you’d talk to a five-year-old, as though it was the most obvious thing.

“Frogs are gross.”, he scrunches his nose, watching the disgusting thing hop away.

“No, they’re not! They’re cute.”, his lips form a small pout and it makes Oikawa smile.

“Sure.”, his voice is sarcastic but the way he furrows his eyebrows tells him that he doesn’t really understand the connotation, so he adds, “Not actually, they’re gross.”

“But-,”

“Nope. I’m not doing this.”, he holds up a finger as he speaks, “Anyway, what’re you doing out?”

“We ran out of cereal and Tsukishima was experiencing withdrawal symptoms.”, he says matter of factually.

He covers his hand with his mouth in an effort to suppress his laughter but he still notices it.

“You’re going to that place, right? The one on the right?”, he stuffs his hands in his pocket to retain the warmth of his slender fingers in his.

“Yeah, are you going there too?”, they’re both still blocking the pavement but fortunately, no one else is around.

He hums in acknowledgment, and now that they’ve cleared it out of the way, they begin to walk, and Oikawa makes a mental note to thank Kuroo for having a craving for sour cream chips.

“Don’t they have cereal in the dorm cafeteria though?”, the question arrives in his thoughts, and he voices it out loud.

“We don’t live in the dorms.”, he kicks a small rock into the puddle ahead of them, causing a small splash, “We rented an apartment together.”

“So, you know each other from before?”, he looks up at the night sky to avoid looking at the sky in Kageyama’s eyes.

“We went to high school together. We’re pretty close, though he’ll never really admit it.”, he chuckles slightly.

“Yeah, my best friend is like that too. He’s in the US now, but we still call often.”, he doesn’t really know why he’s sharing this with him, but talking to him feels natural.

“That’s cool. We were part of like this group with two other guys who also played volleyball but they stayed back home.”, they turn around the corner, and come to a halt.

“Oh, we’re here.”

The neon lights of the small store shine down on them, making his dark blue fade into a lighter colour and Oikawa hates himself.

He pushes against the glass door with the right side of his body which makes the cashier look up from his magazine and he offers them a nod in greeting. He’s fairly familiar with this shop because he’s usually the one who gets the snacks for their room, so he finds himself in the aisle he’s supposed to be at almost automatically, with a shopping basket in his hand while Kageyama goes his way.

“Wait, where’s the strawberry cornflakes at?”, he peeks in from behind the rack of chips.

“I think… it’s there.”, he points to the back of the shop, and he gives him a small smile in gratefulness. 

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”, he drops a few packets of the chips he wanted into the basket, sneaking a glance at him as he walks away, “Strawberry cornflakes? He’s really specific, huh?”

He huffs out a small laugh that has Oikawa wishing he’d seen it, “Yeah, it’s probably one of the main reasons he was so desperate to not live on campus. He wouldn’t survive a day if he had to eat plain cereal.”

The cashier is clearly listening in, with the way he’s angled his chair to face them, and the fact that he hasn’t turned a single page in his magazine since they walked in but he doesn’t really mind. After all, they are in a public space and talking fairly loudly.

“Tetsu-chan is pretty similar to that. He’s like a dragon.”

Kageyama returns, his basket containing two big boxes of cornflakes and a large carton of milk, “A dragon?”

“A dragon.”, he nods solemnly, “You know how there’s a legend that dragons protect treasure and that they have hordes of gold, diamonds and all that? Yeah, well, he’s like that except he has this huge stack of the unhealthiest shit you’ve ever heard of.”

He rubs the back of his neck with his palm as he looks up at him with a small smile and Oikawa thinks that if he dies right now, he’ll be satisfied.

A quick look of remembrance passes by his face before he says, “Oh wait, I need to get some fruits. Give me a minute.”

“No problem.”

As he spins around, his slightly long strands of hair make a dramatic movement, he notices while he follows closely behind him, with every step the thought that this ‘outing’ is coming to an end weighing down on him. 

Something about Kageyama makes him feel calm, even in the short time they’ve spent together, the serenity that is clearing up his cloudy mind slowly is undeniable.

“Hey.”, his pointer finger and thumb wrapped around his wrist send a wave of electricity through his body, “I’m done, we can go.”

It’s a small gesture, an action to snap him out of his reverie but god, it felt good, and when he detaches his hand, Oikawa almost holds his palm, almost being the key word here.

The cashier stands up, looking like they’re both doing him a disservice by simply being there, and honestly, he gets it. Being an essential worker and underpaid must be a nightmare.

He places his basket down first, considering he does have only two items, just chips.

“You two together or?”, the bubble he’s blowing with his gum pops, and the sound is similar to the fuse in Oikawa’s head short circuiting.

He doesn’t bother looking over at him, more concerned about maintaining his image.

“Sorry?”, he manages to say, and he’s sure that his cheeks are pink. 

“He’s asking whether we’re billing our stuff together.”, Kageyama interrupts, tapping on his shoulder to get his attention.

There’s an amused look on his face, with one eyebrow raised and a small lip bite which makes Oikawa want nothing more than to run out of this grocery store right now and murder Kuroo for good measure.

“Uh, yeah, of course. Yes, what was I thinking?”, he whispers under his breath, biting the inside of his cheek to try to keep himself from doing something stupid.

The person who is clearly the most entertained though is most definitely the cashier who’s eyes flit between them, his hand frozen with the barcode scanner on the chips.

He coughs into his fist, snapping both Oikawa and the poor guy caught in the crossfire out of their reverie. 

He instinctively quotes the price, turning the credit card machine towards him looking slightly less bored than earlier.

Going through his actions with an unnatural speed, he can feel the awkward atmosphere he’s created tensing up as Kageyama looks down at his cart, clearly trying to avoid contact.

He resists the urge to dash out of the place and instead waits for him to finish billing his stuff out of courtesy and a chance to redeem himself.

“Let’s go.”, he says, nudging Oikawa with his shoulder once he’s done.

He makes a noise of affirmation as he trails behind, taking a deep breath to calm himself down.

The plastic bag that he holds in his right-hand swings as he walks, and he wonders what it’d be like to hold his left hand, to have his slightly larger palm in his, their fingers intertwined in the night, with no other soul around.

But he doesn’t reach out, and to resist the urge, he stuffs the hand that’s not holding his bag into his pocket and stares into the depths of the sky.

He’s so caught up in everything that just happened, he says, “Why do you like frogs?”

He really didn’t mean to say it, it just tumbled out but he doesn’t seem to mind and just shrugs.

“I don’t really know, I guess. I didn’t like that everyone thought they were gross, so I went out of my way to be nice to them.”, a look of peace ascends upon his gorgeous features but it’s quickly replaced by something that closely resembles sadness, “Sorry, I know it’s weird.”

“No! No, it isn’t weird.”, he says, reflexively, hoping to get that look off of his face.

“It isn’t?”

“No, not at all.”, he tosses the pair of keys inside of his pocket, the jingling soft but loud enough to hear, in preparation for what he’s about to say, “I actually think it’s cute.”

“Oh.”, he’s turning away from him, and Oikawa does the same, “Thanks.”

He hums in response, chewing the side of his cheek to hold back a grin.

He stops suddenly, his steps skidding to a halt and he gives him a quizzical look.

“This is where I’m at.”, he clarifies, tilting his head to gesture to the building next to them.

The complex itself isn’t very big, but the apartments look pretty reasonable sized, with flowers in almost every balcony and a park near the entry.

He nods in understanding, a smile on his face as they watch each other, before Kageyama breaks away with a slight cough.

“I’ve got to get going now.”, Oikawa says, taking a step backwards, waving at him.

“Yeah, me too. Kei is probably having a mental breakdown.”

He chuckles, taking in the sight of him with the street lamp’s fluorescent light shining down on him, a lot like the day they’d met.

It strikes him at that moment that even though it feels like he’s been a part of his life for years, they’ve known each other for less than a week.

On Saturday night, he knew him as the pretty boy in the bathtub.

On Monday, he’d met him as the new setter for their college team.

And today, on a Wednesday night, he had the pleasure of knowing Kageyama Tobio as he really is. 

He turns around, biting his lip to hold himself from exploding in a grin, the happiness overtaking his entire being.

And if he walks back with a spring in his step, well, that’s no one’s business except his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did y'all really think i would let you go to the practice so quick?  
> in all honesty, I really didn't plan for this chapter at all but it just happened and it's the longest so far. We finally learn more stuff about Kageyama and i deflect my obsession with frogs onto him for no reason at all. This is just word vomit and i don't even know if i like this. But it's here, and it's over 2k words.   
> I also have a little timeline in this, to really put into context everything that's happened.  
> Anyway, thank you for reading! I hope you liked it and all of you that comment are really close to my heart. It's so nice to see all the support <3


	8. Chapter 8

“Are you serious?”, Sawamura calls from the table, his legs on Kuroo’s lap.

“What do you mean?”, Oikawa looks away from the mirror to look at him in confusion.

“You’ve literally done your hair eight times now. Eight.”, he holds up eight fingers.

Kuroo snorts as he glances up from his book, “You’re going to practice, your hair’s going to get messed up anyway.”

He sticks his tongue out at them, “But, I have to make an impression! A good impression.”

“Why don’t you just hire a crew to follow you around with a fan and petals, so you can look like you’re in that one anime, what was it again?”, he snaps his fingers as he turns to Kuroo.

“Ouran high school.”, he pipes in, using his pen to tap his head.

“That’s the one.”

“Shut up.”, he mutters, not really paying attention, his fingers coated in a sticky pink lip gloss as he dabs it around his mouth.

“Lip gloss? Really?”

“It’s the first date, you’re not sucki-.”

“Tetsu-chan, no!”, he screeches, throwing the tube at him, “And it’s not a date.”

Sawamura sighs wearily, like all the weight of the world just landed on his broad shoulders.

“Also,”, he continues, “What are you two doing?”

“Studying.”, he answers simply, running a hand through his messy black hair.

“Is it chemistry?”, he asks, remembering parts of their conversation from earlier.

“Yeah, actually.”

He hums slightly, the atmosphere of their room calmer now.

“Anyway, I’m leaving. I’ll be back before 8, I think.”

“Or maybe you’ll stay over? Who knows?”, Kuroo, the menace, says.

And there goes that calmness, “Have I ever told you that I hate you from the depths of my soul?”

“Stay safe! Use protection!”, he joins in.

“Did you two never grow up from being horny 13-year-olds?”

“We love you too!”

The door shuts behind him, before he loses his temper and murders them both.

He stares at his screen, re-reading the texts they’d shared earlier.

“Okay, so it’s 5 pm right now. I have to meet him at 5:15.”, he whispers to himself, feeling uncharacteristically nervous. 

“Five fifteen.”, he repeats once more, now beginning to walk.

It’s nice, this infatuation he feels at the mere thought of him. It sets his heart alight, the dance of the butterflies in his stomach as he clicks on his display picture.

His side profile greets him and those blue eyes look up to the sky, his arms resting on a railing with the softest of smiles on his face and Oikawa wonders who had the pleasure of knowing him this closely.

He quickly swipes it out of the way, to stop him from falling over himself because he’s too distracted.

Shaking his head to get into the right mindset, he stuffs his phone back into the pocket of his shorts.

He’d usually have his earphones in, mostly to get people to stop approaching him, but he just didn’t feel like it at the moment, instead opting to stroll through the paved path of their campus, admiring the plants by the side.

Plants were a relatively weird interest of his mother’s, something he knows too much about for an adult man in college.

His garden back home was immaculately groomed, with the shrubs all at the same height, the flowers plants sorted colour wise and a few fruit trees. 

He could feel the nostalgia for home kicking in, and he took a deep breath to calm himself.

His mother would probably like Tobio, and his dad would be a little apprehensive at first, nothing personal, he’s just like that, but he’d warm up in the end.

Yuki always hates his partners, claiming that she’s just being a good sister by telling him who’s worth it and who’s not. But Tobio is different from the people he’s pursued before and he thinks she would understand that with just one look. 

His train of thought veers past the rail roads and crashes into the shrubs by the side when he halts suddenly, his eyes widening as he realizes what he’s been deliberating.

“The fuck.”, he spits out in a low grumble.

“You’ve known him for less than a week.”, he whispers, for once not caring what everyone else thinks of him as a girl gives him a concerned look while she walks by, “Why’re you thinking about introducing him to your fucking family?”

“Fuck.”, he says, not knowing what else to say, “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.”

The perfectly groomed rhododendrons look up at him, the innocent flowers looking as if they’re mocking him and he buries his face into his hands and stands there for… he’s not sure how long, but he knows it’s long enough to make him look insane.

He taps the screen and finds that his breakdown has cost him three minutes. 

Luckily for him, he’s the king of procrastination so he decides to procrastinate this revelation. 

He adds in a, ‘I hate myself’, for good measure before he speeds up his pace and runs towards the gym they were supposed to meet at. 

But he freezes right outside the door, both his hands on the metal handles, because he can hear a volleyball smacking onto the ground with extreme power and force and he knows that he’s already there.

In all honesty, he likes being late to his ‘meetups’ (it feels wrong to call it a date right now even though there’s nothing he wants more than to call it that), he likes walking in and seeing the person waiting and the way their face would light up upon seeing him like they hadn’t believed he’d actually show up. It made him feel important and he knows how shitty that makes him sound, but this time he wanted to be earlier, he wanted him to know just how much he’s been anticipating this.

He is aware that there’s no one to blame except himself and maybe a little bit blame could be deflected onto Kuroo and Daichi, but that’s just a small possibility.

And so, he takes a deep breath and pushes open the doors.

Except it’s actually a pull door, not a push door, and he ends up falling against the hard wood (is that oak? Since when were these doors oak? Did they replace them for this semester? Why oak? It’s a gym, who uses oak for gyms?) and hitting his head with a loud thud.

Tobio seems to have noticed the noise because Oikawa can hear the ball making a soft sound against the floor, like it just slipped out of his grasp. 

The throbbing in his head syncs with the footsteps coming closer to where he lies slumped against the door, on the third and final step.

Before he can shout at him to not push open the door, it’s too late and the doors finally burst open, sending him flying across the steps and onto the ground. 

“Oikawa-san?”, he says, his words hurried with a reasonable amount of worry in them.

“Tobio-chan.”, he croaks out in his delusional state, “I hate oak.”

His vision goes black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! The updates will be back to regular (i hope).
> 
> This chapter was uh, chaotic? Oikawa didn't suffer all that much in the previous chapter so this one is making up for it. and then there's me sprinkling Kuroo and Daichi wherever i can eek. The thing about procrastinating really rung true with me because i was literally procrastinating writing this chapter while i was procrastinating studying while i was procrastinating eating while i was procrastinating sleeping. There's going to be more with his family because i am obsessed with group dynamics. So yeah, i hope you liked this chapter and thank you so very much for reading and I'll see you next week!


	9. Chapter 9

The weak rays from the tube light above Oikawa shine upon him and even that makes him feel extremely nauseous. 

He lets out a weak grunt, turning onto his side. 

“Oikawa-san!”, a voice that’s entirely too loud for him says.

“Mm.”, he responds, waving one hand around until it lands onto what feels like a face, “Shush. Be quiet.”

His eyes are shut once again, so he barely registers the face next to him as he pulls the sheets up to cover him.

The person next to him chuckles, a soft noise and Oikawa cocks his head up in curiosity.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing, it’s just-,”, another chuckle, “You’re just so tiny.”

His eyes grow wide at this comment and he faces the person who said those words, “Tobio-chan?”

“Hi?”, he replies, his voice unsure and something akin to a smile on his face.

“Why are you here? What happened?”, he sits up.

Tobio places a hand on his shoulder, gently coaxing him to lie back down, “Do you not remember? Do I have to tell you again?”

“No, no!”, the memories come flooding back, “I do not need to relive that.”

He bites his lip to hold back a smile but Oikawa doesn’t miss it and a smile of his own appears on his face.

“After you passed out, I took you to the nurse and she told me to bring you back here to rest.”

“Am I okay?”, he asks, choosing not to deliberate on his poor word choice.

“Technically yeah, like there’s no concussion or anything, but you have to take care of yourself and no volleyball for a week.”

“What the fuck?”

“Yeah, I know, it sucks. But it’s just a week.”, he’s clearly trying very hard to be sympathetic and he feels a flutter in his stomach at that notion. 

He buries his face into his pillow as he speaks, “Where’s Tetsu-chan?”

His voice comes out muffled but Tobio seems to understand just fine.

“He was laughing too hard so Sawamura-san took him out of the room and said they’ll be back once he calms down.”

“Bitch.”, he mutters, “How long has he been gone?”

“About an hour.”

“Of course. Can you do me a favor and strangle him on my behalf?”

There’s a beat of silence before he responds, “Sorry, I can’t do that. I’m already in trouble with the coach. I wouldn’t want my seniors to hate me too.”

Oikawa laughs a little at that, removing his head from between his pillow and places it on his arm as he turns on his side, “Why were you late that day though?”

“Uh, it’s a little embarrassing?”, he rubs the back of his neck sheepishly.

“I already know that it’s because you slept in class.”, he supplies.

He freezes, “Tsukishima, that bastard.”

Burying his face into his hands, he continues, “It’s all his fault actually. He was the one who made me stay up the whole night.”

“What?”, Oikawa asks, a chill running down his spine as he deliberates the implications of that statement. 

“Yeah! He was unpacking his stuff during the night. We moved in a week before and he unpacks when we’re already one week into college!”, his lips are in a pout and he’s chewing his cheeks, much like a petulant child. 

“Oh.”, there’s relief in his voice but Tobio doesn’t pick up on it, “I didn’t realize he was so irresponsible.”

“A pain in the ass is what he is.”, he scoffs slightly as he looks off to the side, a subtle fondness in his eyes.

Tobio moves to adjust the pillow under his head, the soft rustling of the sheets the only noise in the room at that moment.

“Hey.”, Oikawa says under his breath, “I’m sorry we couldn’t play volleyball.” 

“It’s okay.”, he whispers, “It was kind of my fault too.”

“But mainly my fault.”

“But mainly yours.”, he agrees, nodding his head solemnly, “So what exactly happened? Did you hit your head on the door?”

“I pushed the door instead of pulling it, my head banged against it, I was just lying there, then you opened the door and basically launched me into the air.”, he doesn’t even feel shame at this point, all he knows is that it could make Tobio laugh and that’s all he wants.

It doesn’t make him laugh, but he does bring his knee up to his face and leans on it, wrapping his hands around the base of his ankle which makes him look extremely endearing. 

He’s sitting on the chair from his study table, an ugly orange thing that Oikawa takes every opportunity to chastise but the colour doesn’t look as terrible with him on it.

He’s about to say something when the door bursts open along with the sound of a muffled snicker.

“Tetsu-chan and Dai-chan, there you are.”, he says, crossing his arms as they approach his room.

Kuroo peeks his head in but moves back immediately when he erupts in a chorus of laughter.

“Go ahead, laugh. Laugh at my plight.”

“God, you’re such a dick.”, Sawamura sighs, punching his arm before pushing him inside.

He doesn’t stop cackling though, he’s hunched over in the middle of the room as Tobio fidgets awkwardly, his legs on the ground once again.

“Sorry if he bothered you too much Kageyama.”, Daichi says, gesturing to Oikawa with his head as he pulls Kuroo back by the collar.

“It’s fine!”, he waves his hands frantically, trying to communicate that he really doesn’t mind.

He finally calms down, wiping away tears with the heel of his palm as he looks at his figure in the bed.

“If I hear one more giggle from your filthy mouth, you’ll be lying in a bed of your own.”

He straightens up, shutting his eyes and pressing his lips together to suppress his laughter.

“I hate you.”, Oikawa deadpans, relocating back to his position where he had his head between the pillow.

“Aw, come on. Don’t be mad.”, Kuroo teases, prodding his shoulder, “You have to admit that it’s kind of funny.”

“It’s not.”

“It is!”

“No.”

“Yeah.”

“No.”

“I am too mature for this sort of childish banter.”

“I saw you eat one of those chocolates that you get toys with yesterday, don’t pretend you’re all grown up.”, he’s sitting up now, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

“Um, I should get going now.”, Kageyama says, pushing himself up from the chair.

“Do you have to?”, Oikawa turns his full attention to him, ignoring Kuroo’s little snicker.

“Yeah, I have some assignments to finish up.”, he looks genuinely apologetic and it makes his heart skip a beat or two, “But I’ll drop by tomorrow? If that’s okay?”

“That’s okay!”, he jumps on the opportunity immediately, “That’s more than okay, that’s perfect.”

“Cool. Bye Oikawa-san.”, he bows to all three of them and rushes out.

“That’s more than okay! That’s perfect!”, Kuroo repeats in a high-pitched voice and twirling his hair in an effort to imitate him.

“That is not what I sound like.”

“You know how you sounded?”, Sawamura pitches in, “You sounded whipped.”

“I hate you.”

“You’ve said this like ten times today, chill the fuck out bro.”

“That’s because I do. I hate you.”

“You’re going to hate me even more in five seconds.”, Daichi says, looking up from his phone.

“Huh?”

The door bursts open for the second time in a span of ten minutes as a voice shouts, “Oikawa did what?”

“Kou-kun.”, he says, and sighs wearily.

When Bokuto appears in the doorway in the same state as how Kuroo was when he first saw him, Oikawa realizes that he is never going to hear the end of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! We shall have a little bit of a sickfic now because i am a sucker for Tobio taking care of Tooru. And he still has to freak out over the fact that he carried him lmao so i hope to see you next week! Thank you for reading and i really appreciate all your comments! Thank you so very much for all the support <3

**Author's Note:**

> uhhh yeah.
> 
> I'm back with a multi-chap! i promise not to abandon this one like the rest because the previous ones weren't really what i wanted to do but i'm really excited and i already have a lot of chapters lined up. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and i hope you'd like to join me on this ride!
> 
> Title from bloom by brahny


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